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Another way to think of it is, science vs. magic/customs. Indeed empirical knowledge can provide reasonable answers (e.g. when rubbing a particular mold over yo
by mbroncano 10y ago
Another way to think of it is, science vs. magic/customs. Indeed empirical knowledge can provide reasonable answers (e.g. when rubbing a particular mold over your injury it will heal quicker). On the other hand, understanding what an antibiotic is, how to properly dose it and potentially synthesize it from other sources, etc. is a far better tool for the job.
- mercer 10y agoI suspect reality is a messy mix of science and magic/customs, and perhaps one way in which AI can help us is to figure out - within limits - where and when to take the shortcuts (magic/customs) and when/where not to. But of course, there are bound to be all sorts of weird unintended consequences when we let what is essentially an alien life-form come up with these things. I think the gorilla/black people issue is a perfect example of this. An 'AI' might group gorillas and black people together because its 'magic' made it do so. On the one hand it might seem like a rather unfortunate 'mistake', but it's also not difficult to understand why this would happen. I've had more than one experience with white children causing embarrassment by comparing black people to gorillas/monkeys. I'm not going anywhere in particular with this other than that 1) I don't think science and magic/customs are quite as easily disentangled in daily life, and 2) I have high hopes for the role of AI in all aspects of human development, but I expect it to cause all kind of issues that, in hindsight, we might write about in the same way we write about culture clashes or hypothetical alien visitations. Until we create AI that simulates or experiences actual human lifespans, they'll be basically aliens to us in all kinds of ways, small and big.